The present invention relates to a vehicle wheel, spacers or separating means and tire carrying rims having radially inwardly projecting components thereon. The rims are dual mounted, inner and outer, on the wheel.
The vehicle wheel has a plurality of spaced-apart felloe portions for rim mounting and is preferably a spoked wheel. The spacers are non-compressible and comprise an individual element for each wheel felloe portion.
The prior art relating to vehicle wheels for carrying demountable rims and spacers or separating means therefor includes the patents to be found (the July, 1973, classification) in class 301, beginning with sub-class 10 R. Generally relevant to the present invention are the patents relating to the mounting of plural or dual rims, inner and outer, normally found in sub-classes 13 R and 13 SM.
The accurate mounting of tire carrying rims on the felloe, felly or load bearing portion of a wheel has long been a problem in the art. Vehicle operators and industry regulations seek longer tire life and complete safety in operation, even under the most severe of vehicle operating conditions. The tire manufacturers are endeavoring to provide tires which have optimum performance characteristics, including lateral and radial balance. Consequently, it is being required that this art provide elements, the wheels, the rims, the fastening assemblies and the spacers, which do not deteriorate, hinder or impair the projected performance characteristics of the tires.
Heretofore, the wheel of a tire-rim-wheel assembly has been regarded primarily as a load carrying element attached to an axle of the vehicle and carrying the rim. The periphery of the wheel has felly surfaces to pilot or guide the rim into approximate mounting position. Thereafter, fastening means or assemblies are torqued down or tightened in such a manner that the tire carrying rim would not come loose from the wheel during use. If done correctly, as by an expert and conscientious mechanic, the prior art rim mounting techniques would not deteriorate, hinder or impair the performance characteristics of the tires. However, environmental or extrinsic factors such as warpage, deformation or damage to the rim and spacer or wear of the fastening means or assemblies could lead to relative displacement or non-alignment of the assembly components during fastening, creating conditions of what are now commonly referred to as excessive lateral (axial) or radial runout, or an imbalance of the tire-rim-spacer-wheel assembly during vehicle operation.
The inventors have determined that the concepts of vehicle wheel, spacers, tire carrying rims and fastening assemblies disclosed herein will permit of improved rim mounting techniques.
A wheel and spacers according to the invention, when used with rims and fastening assemblies adapted thereto, should reduce lateral (axial) and radial runout, resist rim warpage or deformation, restrict rim rotation relative to the wheel and spacers and provide better balance for the tire-rim-spacer-wheel assembly during vehicle operation.